Docking station for media player system

ABSTRACT

A media player system is disclosed. One aspect of the media player system pertains to a docking station that allows a media player to communicate with other media devices. Another aspect of the media player system pertains to a wireless media player system that includes a hand held media player capable of transmitting information over a wireless connection and one or more media devices capable of receiving information over the wireless connection. Another aspect of the media player system pertains to a method of wirelessly connecting the hand held media player to another device. The method includes selecting a media item on the hand held media player; selecting one or more remote recipients on the hand held media player; and transmitting the media item locally to the hand held media player, and wirelessly to the selected remote recipients. Another aspect of the media player system pertains to a hand held music player that includes a transmitter for transmitting information over a wireless connection. The transmitter is configured to at least transmit a continuous music feed to one or more personal tuning devices that each include a receiver capable of receiving information from the transmitter over the wireless connection. Yet another aspect of the media player system pertains to a connector that includes a housing and a plurality of spatially separated contacts mounted within the housing. A first set of contacts are directed at a first functionality and a second set of contacts are directed at a second functionality that is different than the first functionality.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 10/423,490, filed Apr. 25, 2003, which is incorporated herein byreference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a media player. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to improved features forconnecting the media player to external devices.

2. Description of the Related Art

The hand held consumer electronics market is exploding, and anincreasing number of those products are including mechanism forexpanding connections thereto. By way of example, hand held consumerelectronic products may correspond to cellular phones, personal digitalassistants (PDAs), video games, radios, MP3 players, CD players, DVDplayers, televisions, game players, cameras, etc. Most of these devicesinclude some sort of connector for making connections to other devices(e.g., Firewire, USB, audio out, video in, etc.). Some of these deviceshave been capable of connections to other devices through dockingstations. For example, cellular phones have included docking stationsfor charging the cellular phones and PDAs have included docking stationsfor communicating with a host computer. Other devices have been capableof wireless connections therebetween. For example, cellular phones usewireless connections to communicate back and forth (e.g., includewireless receivers).

MP3 music players in particular have typically made connections to otherdevices through connectors. For example, the MP3 music player known asthe Ipod manufactured by Apple Computer of Cupertino, Calif. hasincluded a Firewire connector for communicating with a computer. TheFirewire connector through a cable connected to the computer generallyallows data transmissions to travel back and forth between the MP3 musicplayer and the computer. As should be appreciated, MP3 music players areconfigured to play MP3 formatted songs. These songs may be uploaded fromthe computer and thereafter stored in the MP3 player. As is generallywell known, the MP3 format is a compression system for digital musicthat helps reduce the size of a digitized song without hurting the soundquality, i.e., compress a CD-quality song without losing the CD soundquality. By way of example, a 32 MB song on a CD may compress down toabout a 3 MB song using the MP3 format. This generally lets a userdownload a song in minutes rather than hours.

Although current media players such as MP3 music players work well,there is a continuing need for improved features for connecting orcoupling media players to one or more external devices (e.g., input oroutput).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates, in one embodiment, to a docking station thatallows a media player to communicate with other media devices. The mediaplayer (e.g., music player) having a first media connector forconnection to the docking station. The docking station includes ahousing and a media bay disposed inside the housing. The media bay iscapable of receiving the media player. The media bay includes a mediabay opening and a second media connector. The media bay opening providesaccess to the media bay connector. The media bay connector is configuredfor removable engagement with the first media connector of the mediaplayer. The first and second media connectors are configured to allowdata and power transmissions therethrough. The data transmissionincludes at least two data formats. The docking station also includesone or more outputs that are operatively coupled to the second media bayconnector. The outputs are configured to allow at least datatransmissions therethrough.

The invention relates, in another embodiment, to a wireless media playersystem. The wireless media player system includes a hand held mediaplayer (e.g., music player) capable of transmitting information over awireless connection. The wireless media player system also includes oneor more media devices (e.g., tuning devices) capable of receivinginformation over the wireless connection.

The invention relates, in another embodiment, to a method of wirelesslyconnecting a hand held media player to another device. The methodincludes selecting a media item on the hand held media player. Themethod also includes selecting one or more remote recipients on the handheld media player. The method further includes transmitting the mediaitem locally to the hand held media player, and wirelessly to theselected remote recipients.

The invention relates, in another embodiment, to a hand held musicplayer (e.g., MP3 player) that includes a transmitter for transmittinginformation over a wireless connection. The transmitter is configured toat least transmit a continuous music feed to one or more personal tuningdevices that each include a receiver capable of receiving informationfrom the transmitter over the wireless connection.

The invention relates, in yet another embodiment, to a connector for usein a media player system. The connector includes a housing and aplurality of spatially separated contacts mounted within the housing. Afirst set of contacts are appropriated for Firewire transmissions, asecond set of contacts being appropriated for USB transmissions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in whichlike reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a media player, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a media player system, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams of a docking station, in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams of a docking station, in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a media player system, in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6A is a top view of a connector assembly, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6B is a front view of a connector assembly, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6C is a pin designation chart, in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 7A is a perspective diagram of a stand alone docking station, inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7B is a top view of a stand alone docking station, in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7C is a top view of a stand alone docking station with its coverremoved, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7D is a back view of a stand alone docking station, in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7E is a side view of a stand alone docking station, in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of a media player docking station in use, inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9A is a diagram of a cable adapter, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9B is a diagram of a cable adapter, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9C is a diagram of a cable adapter, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9D is a functional diagram of a cable adapter, in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of a notebook computer with a built-in dockingstation, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram of a desktop computer with a built-in dockingstation, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram of a boom box with a built-in docking station, inaccordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram of a photo frame with a built-in docking station,in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram of a family radio with a built-in docking station,in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a diagram of a of a wireless communication system, inaccordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a of a wireless communication system, inaccordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a flow diagram of a wireless transmission method, inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 18 is a perspective diagram of a wireless communication network inuse, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference toa few preferred embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. In the following description, numerous specific details areset forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the presentinvention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, thatthe present invention may be practiced without some or all of thesespecific details. In other instances, well known process steps have notbeen described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure thepresent invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram of a media player 100, in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention. The term “media player”generally refers to computing devices that are dedicated to processingmedia such as audio, video or other images, as for example, musicplayers, game players, video players, video recorders, cameras, and thelike. In some cases, the media players contain single functionality(e.g., a media player dedicated to playing music) and in other cases themedia players contain multiple functionality (e.g., a media player thatplays music, displays video, stores pictures and the like). In eithercase, these devices are generally portable so as to allow a user tolisten to music, play games or video, record video or take pictureswherever the user travels.

In one embodiment, the media player is a handheld device that is sizedfor placement into a pocket of the user. By being pocket sized, the userdoes not have to directly carry the device and therefore the device canbe taken almost anywhere the user travels (e.g., the user is not limitedby carrying a large, bulky and often heavy device, as in a laptop ornotebook computer). For example, in the case of a music player, a usermay use the device while working out at the gym. In case of a camera, auser may use the device while mountain climbing. In the case of a gameplayer, the user can use the device while traveling in a car.Furthermore, the device may be operated by the users hands, no referencesurface such as a desktop is needed. In the illustrated embodiment, themedia player 100 is a pocket sized hand held MP3 music player thatallows a user to store a large collection of music (e.g., in some casesup to 4,000 CD-quality songs). Although used primarily for storing andplaying music, the MP3 music player shown herein may also includeadditional functionality such as storing a calendar and phone lists,storing and playing games, storing photos and the like. In fact, in somecases, it may act as a highly transportable storage device.

By way of example, the MP3 music player may correspond to the Ipod MP3player manufactured by Apple Computer of Cupertino, Calif. The pocketsized Ipod has a width of about 2.4 inches, a height of about 4 inchesand depths ranging from about 0.72 to about 0.84 inches.

As shown in FIG. 1, the media player 100 includes a housing 102 thatencloses internally various electrical components (including integratedcircuit chips and other circuitry) to provide computing operations forthe media player 100. In addition, the housing may also define the shapeor form of the media player. That is, the contour of the housing 102 mayembody the outward physical appearance of the media player 100. Theintegrated circuit chips and other circuitry contained within thehousing may include a microprocessor (e.g., CPU), memory (e.g., ROM,RAM), a power supply (e.g., battery), a circuit board, a hard drive,other memory (e.g., flash) and/or various input/output (I/O) supportcircuitry. The electrical components may also include components forinputting or outputting music or sound such as a microphone, amplifierand a digital signal processor (DSP). The electrical components may alsoinclude components for capturing images such as image sensors (e.g.,charge coupled device (CCD) or complimentary oxide semiconductor (CMOS))or optics (e.g., lenses, splitters, filters). The electrical componentsmay also include components for sending and receiving media (e.g.,antenna, receiver, transmitter, transceiver, etc.).

In the illustrated embodiment, the media player 100 includes a harddrive thereby giving the media player massive storage capacity. Forexample, a 20 GB hard drive can store up to 4000 songs or about 266hours of music. In contrast, flash-based media players on average storeup to 128 MB, or about two hours, of music. The hard drive capacity maybe widely varied (e.g., 5, 10, 20 MB, etc.). In addition to the harddrive, the media player 100 shown herein also includes a battery such asa rechargeable lithium polymer battery. These type of batteries arecapable of offering about 10 hours of continuous playtime to the mediaplayer.

The media player 100 also includes a user interface 103. The userinterface 103 allows the user of the media player 100 to initiateactions on the media player 100 and provides the user with outputassociated with using the media player (e.g., audio, video, images,etc.). The user interface 103 may be widely varied. By way of example,the user interface 103 may include switches, buttons, keys, dials,trackballs, joysticks, touch pads, touch screens, displays, microphones,speakers, cameras, and the like.

In the illustrated embodiment, the media player 100 includes a displayscreen 104 and related circuitry. The display screen 104 is used todisplay a graphical user interface as well as other information to theuser (e.g., text, objects, graphics). By way of example, the displayscreen 104 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD). In one particularembodiment, the display screen corresponds to a 160-by-128-pixelhigh-resolution display, with a white LED backlight to give clearvisibility in daylight as well as low-light conditions. As shown, thedisplay screen 104 is visible to a user of the media player 100 throughan opening 105 in the housing 102, and through a transparent wall 106that is disposed in front of the opening 105. Although transparent, thetransparent wall 106 may be considered part of the housing 102 since ithelps to define the shape or form of the media player 100.

In addition to the display screen 104, the media player 100 alsoincludes a touch pad 110. The touch pad is an intuitive interface thatprovides easy one-handed operation, i.e., lets a user interact with themedia player with one or more fingers. The touch pad 110 is configuredto provide one or more control functions for controlling variousapplications associated with the media player 100. For example, thetouch initiated control function may be used to move an object orperform an action on the display screen 104 or to make selections orissue commands associated with operating the media player 100. In orderto implement the touch initiated control function, the touch pad 110 maybe arranged to receive input from a finger moving across the surface ofthe touch pad 110, from a finger holding a particular position on thetouch pad and/or by a finger tapping on a particular position of thetouch pad. The touch pad may be widely varied. For example, the touchpad may be a conventional touch pad based on a Cartesian coordinatesystem, or the touch pad may be a touch pad based on a Polar coordinatesystem. Furthermore, the touch pad 110 may be used in a relative and/orabsolute mode. In absolute mode, the touch pad 110 reports the absolutecoordinates of where it is being touched. For example x, y in the caseof the Cartesian coordinate system or (r, θ) in the case of the Polarcoordinate system. In relative mode, the touch pad 110 reports thedirection and/or distance of change. For example, left/right, up/down,and the like.

The touch pad 110 generally consists of a touchable outer surface 111for receiving a finger for manipulation on the touch pad 110. Althoughnot shown in FIG. 1, beneath the touchable outer surface 111 is a sensorarrangement. The sensor arrangement includes a plurality of sensors thatare configured to activate as the finger sits on, taps on or passes overthem. In the simplest case, an electrical signal is produced each timethe finger is positioned over a sensor. The number of signals in a giventime frame may indicate location, direction, speed and acceleration ofthe finger on the touch pad, i.e., the more signals, the more the usermoved his or her finger. In most cases, the signals are monitored by anelectronic interface that converts the number, combination and frequencyof the signals into location, direction, speed and accelerationinformation. This information may then be used by the media player 100to perform the desired control function on the display screen 104.

The position of the display screen 104 and touch pad 110 relative to thehousing 102 may be widely varied. For example, they may be placed at anyexternal surface (e.g., top, side, front, or back) of the housing 102that is accessible to a user during manipulation of the media player100. In most cases, the touch sensitive surface 111 of the touch pad 110is completely exposed to the user. In the illustrated embodiment, thetouch pad 110 is located in a lower, front area of the housing 102.Furthermore, the touch pad 110 may be recessed below, level with, orextend above the surface of the housing 102. In the illustratedembodiment, the touch sensitive surface 111 of the touch pad 110 issubstantially flush with the external surface of the housing 102.

The shape of the display screen 104 and the touch pad 110 may also bewidely varied. For example, they may be circular, rectangular,triangular, and the like. In general, the outer perimeter of the shapedtouch pad defines the working boundary of the touch pad. In theillustrated embodiment, the display screen is rectangular and the touchpad 110 is circular. More particularly, the touch pad is annular, i.e.,shaped like or forming a ring. When annular, the inner and outerperimeter of the shaped touch pad defines the working boundary of thetouch pad.

In addition to above, the media player 100 may also include one or morebuttons 112. The buttons 112 are configured to provide one or morededicated control functions for making selections or issuing commandsassociated with operating the media player 100. By way of example, inthe case of an MP3 music player, the button functions may be associatedwith opening a menu, playing a song, fast forwarding a song, seekingthrough a menu and the like. In most cases, the button functions areimplemented via a mechanical clicking action. The position of thebuttons 112 relative to the touch pad 110 may be widely varied. Forexample, they may be adjacent one another or spaced apart. In theillustrated embodiment, the buttons 112 are configured to surround theinner and outer perimeter of the touch pad 110. In this manner, thebuttons 112 may provide tangible surfaces that define the outerboundaries of the touch pad 110. As shown, there are four buttons 112Athat surround the outer perimeter and one button 112B disposed in thecenter or middle of the touch pad 110. By way of example, the pluralityof buttons 112 may consist of a menu button, play/stop button, forwardseek button and a reverse seek button, and the like.

Moreover, the media player 100 may also include a hold switch 114. Thehold switch 114 is configured to activate or deactivate the touch padand/or buttons. This is generally done to prevent unwanted commands bythe touch pad and/or buttons, as for example, when the media player isstored inside a user's pocket. When deactivated, signals from thebuttons and/or touch pad are not sent or are disregarded by the mediaplayer. When activated, signals from the buttons and/or touch pad aresent and therefore received and processed by the media player.

The media player 100 may also include one or more connectors forreceiving and transmitting data to and from the media player. By way ofexample, the media player may include one or more audio jacks, videojacks, data ports and the like. The media player 100 may also includeone or more connectors for receiving and transmitting power to and fromthe media player 100.

In the illustrated embodiment, the media player includes a headphonejack 116 and a data port 118. The headphone jack 116 is capable ofreceiving a headphone or speaker plug associated withheadphones/speakers configured for listening to sound being outputted bythe media device 100. The data port 118, on the other hand, is capableof receiving a data plug/cable assembly configured for transmitting andreceiving data to and from a host device such as a general purposecomputer (e.g., desktop computer, portable computer). By way of example,the data port 118 may be used to upload or down load audio, video andother images to and from the media device 100. For example, the dataport may be used to download songs and play lists, audio books, ebooks,photos, and the like into the storage mechanism of the media player.

The data port 118 may be widely varied. For example, the data port maybe a PS/2 port, a serial port, a parallel port, network interface port,a USB port, a Firewire port and/or the like. In some cases, the dataport 118 may be a wireless link such as a radio frequency (RF) link oran optical infrared (IR) link in order to eliminate the need for acable. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the media player 100 may alsoinclude a power port that receives a power plug/cable assemblyconfigured for delivering powering to the media player 100. In somecases, the data port 118 may serve as both a data and power port.

Although only one data port is provided, it should be noted that this isnot a limitation and that multiple data ports may be incorporated intothe media player. In a similar vein, the data port may include multipledata functionality, i.e., integrating the functionality of multiple dataports into a single data port. Furthermore, it should be noted that theposition of the hold switch, headphone jack and data port on the housingmay be widely varied. That is, they are not limited to the positionsshown in FIG. 1. They may be positioned almost anywhere on the housing(e.g., front, back, sides, top, bottom). For example, the data port maybe positioned on the top, sides, back, front surfaces of the housingrather than the bottom surface as shown. Although it should be notedthat having the data port on the bottom surface provides some benefitswhen connecting to other devices.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a media player system 150, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention. The media player system comprises amedia player 152 and one or more media devices 154 that are connectedvia a media link 156. As mentioned above, the term “media player”generally refers to computing devices that are dedicated to processingmedia such as audio, video or other images, as for example, musicplayers, game players, video players, video recorders, cameras, and thelike. By way of example, the media player 152 may correspond to themedia player 100 shown in FIG. 1. Media devices 154 are similar to themedia player 152 in that they process media such as audio, video orother images. The media devices may be widely varied. By way of example,the media devices may correspond to other media players, desktopcomputers, notebook computers, personal digital assistants, video orimaging equipment (e.g., cameras, monitors), audio equipment (homestereos, car stereos, boom boxes), family radios (e.g., walkie talkies),peripheral devices (e.g., keyboards, mice, displays, printers,scanners), personal media devices (discussed in greater detail below)and the like.

The media devices 154 and the media player 152 are configured tocommunicate with one another through media link 156. The protocol underwhich they communicate may be widely varied. By way of example, thecommunication protocol may be a master/slave communication protocol,server/client communication protocol, peer/peer communication protocol,and the like. Using a master/slave communication protocol, one of thedevices is a master and the other is a slave. The master controls theslave. Using a client/server communication protocol, a server programresponds to requests from a client program. The server program mayoperate on the media player or the media device. Using a peer to peercommunication protocol either of the two devices can initiate acommunication session.

The media link 156 may be wired and/or wireless. For example, the medialink 156 may be made through connectors and ports or through receivers,transmitters and/or transceivers. The media link may also be one way ortwo way. For example, in the case of one way, the media player may beconfigured to transmit signals to the media device but not to receiveinformation from the media device (or vice versa) or in the case of twoway, both the media player and media device may be enabled to receiveand transmit signals therebetween. The signals may be data (analog,digital), power (AC, DC), and/or the like. In most cases, the datacorresponds to data associated with the media player as for exampleaudio, video, images and the like.

Both the media player 152 and the media device 154 include a mediaterminal 158A and 158B, respectively. The media terminals 158 mayprovide a direct connection between the media player 152 and the mediadevice 154 (e.g., integrally formed with the media device) or it mayprovide an indirect connection between the media player 152 and themedia device 154 (e.g., a stand alone device). The media terminals 158provide the media link 156 through one or more connection interfaces. Assuch, the media player 152 may serve the media devices 154 and/or themedia devices 154 may serve the media player 152. The connectioninterfaces associated with the media terminals 158 may be wired orwireless connection interfaces.

In wired connections, the media terminals 158 are configured tophysically connect so as to operatively couple the media player 152 tothe media device 154. For example, the media player 152 and the mediadevice 154 may include a mating connection made up of connector andport. By way of example, the connection interface may include one ormore of the following interfaces: PS/2, serial, parallel, network (e.g.,Ethernet), USB, Firewire and/or the like. The connection interface mayalso include one or more remote, audio (digital or analog), video(digital or analog), and/or charging interfaces. In one embodiment, themedia terminal 158B is a part of docking station that permits the mediaplayer 152 to connect with the media device 154. The docking station maybe integrally formed with the media device 154 thereby providing adirection connection with the media player 152 or it may be a standalonedevice that provides an indirect connection between the media player 154and the media device 152.

In wireless connections, the media terminals 158 do not physicallyconnect. For example, the media player 152 and the media device 154 mayinclude a receiver and transmitter for wireless communicationstherebetween. By way of example, the connection interface may includeone or more of the following interfaces: FM, RF, Bluetooth, 802.11 UWB(ultra wide band), IR, magnetic link (induction) and/or the like.

In brief, FM (frequency modulation) is a method of impressing data ontoan alternating-current (AC) wave by varying the instantaneous frequencyof the wave. This scheme can be used with analog or digital data. RFgenerally refers to alternating current AC having characteristics suchthat, if the current is input to an antenna, an electromagnetic field isgenerated suitable for wireless broadcasting and/or communications. Thefrequencies associated with RF cover a wide range of the electromagneticradiation spectrum as for example from about 9 kHz to thousands of GHz.Bluetooth generally refers to a computing and telecommunicationsindustry specification that describes how mobile phones, computers andpersonal digital assistants can easily interconnect with each otherusing short range wireless connection. 802.11 generally refers to afamily of specification for wireless local area networks (WLANs)developed by a working group of the Institute of Electrical andElectronics Engineers (IEEE). UWB refers to a wireless technology fortransmitting large amounts of digital data over a wide spectrum offrequency bands with very low power for a short distance. IR generallyrefers wireless technologies that convey data through infraredradiation.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams of docking stations 170 and 172,respectively, in accordance with several embodiment of the presentinvention. The docking stations 170 and 172 are hardware components thatinclude a set of connection interfaces that allow a media player 174 tocommunicate with other media devices (not shown) that are not usuallytaken along with the media player 174. That is, the docking stations 170and 172 make available additional functionality that would not otherwisebe achieved through the media player 174 and/or the other media devices.The docking stations 170 and 172 may be built into the media device(e.g., hard wired) or they may be stand-alone devices that are connectedto the media device through a separate connection (e.g., cord). By wayof example, the media player 174 may generally correspond to the mediaplayer shown in FIG. 1.

As shown, each of the docking stations includes a housing 178. Thehousings 178 are configured with a media bay 180 capable of receivingthe media player 174 for direct or indirect connection to a mediadevice. The media bay 180 includes a media bay opening 182 in thesurface 184 of the housing 178. The media bay opening 182 is configuredto physically receive the media player 174. In other words, the mediaplayer 174 can be inserted into the media bay opening 182. Once themedia player 174 is inserted into the media bay opening 182 (as shown inFIGS. 3B and 4B), the functionality provided by a media deviceoperatively coupled to the docking stations 170 and 172 becomesavailable for use by the media player 174. Additionally oralternatively, the functionality provided by the media player 174 maybecome available for use by the media device operatively coupled to thedocking stations 170 and 172. In most cases, a connector 186 of themedia player 174 couples to a corresponding connector 188 within themedia bay 180 when the media player 174 is placed in the insertedposition. The media player 180 essentially becomes a fixed locationdevice when coupled to the docking stations 170 and 172 through themedia bay 180 (unless the docking station happens to be in anothermobile device). When the media player 174 is taken out, it becomesmobile again. As should be appreciated, the docking stations 172 and 174let a user simultaneously enjoy expansion possibilities with theportability of a smaller device.

The media bays 180 of the docking stations 170 and 172 may be widelyvaried. In most cases, the media bay openings 182 are dimensioned toreceive the media players 174. That is, the inner peripheral surfaces ofthe media bay openings 182 are sized to receive the outer peripheralsurfaces of the media player 174 (allowing for some tolerances). In FIG.3, the media bay 180 is configured to receive the back end of the mediaplayer 174 while in FIG. 4 the media bay 180 is configured to receive abottom end of the media player 174. In either case, the connector 186 onthe media player 174 is configured to connect with the connector 188 onthe docking station 170 and 172 when the media player 174 is inserted inthe media bay 180. The position of the inserted media player 174relative to the housing 178 may be widely varied. For example, the mediabay 180 may be configured to receive the entire media player 174 asshown in FIG. 3 or it may only be configured to receive a portion of themedia player 174 as shown in FIG. 4.

The inserted media player 174 is typically retained within the media bay180 until it is removed from the media bay 180 (e.g., doesn't slideout). For example, a retention mechanism such as a snap, a spring loadedlatch or a magnet may be used to hold the media player 174 within themedia bay opening 182. The media player 174 may also be held within theopening 182 by the force of the engaged connectors 186/188 or under itsown weight (e.g., gravity). An ejection mechanism may additionally beused to release the media player 174 from the media bay 180 (e.g., toovercome any holding forces). In some cases (as shown in FIG. 3), theuser interface 175 of the media player 174 is completely exposed to theuser so that it is accessible to a user while inserted in the media bay180. In cases such as these, the user interface 175 (e.g., front surfaceof the media player) may be recessed below, level with, or extend abovethe external surface of the housing 178. In the illustrated embodimentof FIG. 3, the front surface 190 of the media player 174 issubstantially flush with the external surface 184 of the housing 178.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a media player/docking station system 200,in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The system200 generally includes a media player 202 and a docking station 204. Byway of example, the media player and docking station may correspond tothe media player and docking station shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As shown,the media player 202 includes a processor 206 (e.g., CPU ormicroprocessor) configured to execute instructions and to carry outoperations associated with the media player 202. For example, usinginstructions retrieved for example from memory, the processor 206 maycontrol the reception and manipulation of input and output data betweencomponents of the media player 202. In most cases, the processor 206executes instruction under the control of an operating system or othersoftware. The processor 206 can be a single-chip processor or can beimplemented with multiple components.

In most cases, the processor 206 together with an operating systemoperates to execute computer code and produce and use data. The computercode and data may reside within a program storage block 208 that isoperatively coupled to the processor 206. Program storage block 208generally provides a place to hold data that is being used by the system200. By way of example, the program storage block 208 may includeRead-Only Memory (ROM), Random-Access Memory (RAM), hard disk drive,flash memory and/or the like. As is generally well known, RAM is used bythe processor as a general storage area and as scratch-pad memory, andcan also be used to store input data and processed data. ROM can be usedto store instructions or program code followed by the processor as wellas other data. Hard disk drives can be used to store various types ofdata and can permit fast access to large amounts of stored data. Thecomputer code and data could also reside on a removable program mediumand loaded or installed onto the computer system when needed.

In one embodiment, program storage block 208 is configured to store anaudio program for controlling the distribution of audio in the mediaplayer 202. The audio program may contain song lists associated withsongs also stored in the storage block 208. The songs may be accessedthrough a user interface 210 operatively coupled to the processor 206.The user interface 210 may include a display for visually displaying thesong lists (as part of a GUI interface) and a touch pad or buttons forselecting a song to be played or reviewing and/or customizing the songlists, i.e., the user may quickly and conveniently review the lists andmake changes or selections thereto.

The media player also includes an input/output (I/O) controller 212 thatis operatively coupled to the processor 206. The (I/O) controller 212may be integrated with the processor 206 or it may be a separatecomponent as shown. The I/O controller 212 is generally configured tocontrol interactions with one or more media devices 214 that can becoupled to the media player 202. The I/O controller 212 generallyoperates by exchanging data (and/or power) between the media player 202and the media devices 214 that desire to communicate with the mediaplayer 202. In some cases, the media devices 214 may be connected to theI/O controller 212 through wired connections and in other cases themedia devices 214 may be connected to the I/O controller 212 throughwireless connections. In the illustrated embodiment, the media device214 is capable of being connected to the I/O controller 212 through awired connection.

The media player 202 also includes a connector 216 capable of connectingto a corresponding connector 218 located within the docking station 204.The docking station 204 is operatively coupled to the media device 214through transfer circuitry 220. The transfer circuitry 220 may provide adirect or indirect link to the media device 214. For example, thetransfer circuitry 220 may be hard wired to the media device 214 as forexample when the docking station 204 is integrated with the media device214 or it may be passively wired as through a cord that temporarilyplugs into the media device 214.

The connector arrangement 216/218 used to connect the media player 202and the docking station 204 may be widely varied. However, in theillustrated embodiment, the connector arrangement 216/218 includes bothpower and data contacts. The power contacts 222 of the media player 202are operatively coupled to a battery 224 of the media player 202 and thedata contacts 226 of the media player 202 are operatively coupled to theI/O controller 212. As should be appreciated, the power contacts 222A ofthe connector 216 are configured to engage the power contacts 222B ofthe connector 218 so as to provide operational or charging power to themedia player 202, and the data contacts 226A of the connector 216 areconfigured to engage the data contacts 226B of the connector 218 so asto provide data transmissions to and from the media player 202. The datacontacts may be widely varied. For example, they may be configured toprovide one or more data transmitting functionalities includingFirewire, USB, USB 2.0, Ethernet, and the like. The connectors may alsoinclude a variety of other contacts 230 for transmitting other types ofdata as for example remote control, video (in/out), audio (in/out),analog TV, and the like.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrams of a connector assembly pin arrangement235, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Asshown, the arrangement 235 includes a first connector 236 and a secondconnector 238. The connectors 236 and 238 may be placed in a mediaplayer, docking station, at the end of a cord or cable and/or the like.By way of example, the connectors 236 and 238 may generally correspondto the connectors 216/218 of FIG. 5. The first and second connectors 236and 238 each include a housing 240 and 242 and a plurality ofcorresponding contacts 244 and 246 that when engaged operatively couplethe connectors 236 and 238 together. The housing is generally formedfrom an insulating material such as plastic and the contacts aregenerally formed from an electrically conductive material such as acopper alloy. In the illustrated embodiment, the contacts 244 protrudefrom the housing 240 for insertion into corresponding contacts 246 thatare recessed within the housing 242 (e.g., male-female connection). Insome cases, the contacts 244 are configured to snugly fit into thecontacts 246 so that the connectors are held together. Additionally oralternatively, the connectors 236 and 238 may include a locking meansfor locking the connectors together. For example, one of the connectorsmay include a latch that engages and disengages to and from a portion ofthe other connector. The configuration of the contacts may be widelyvaried (e.g., spacing, # of rows or columns, etc.). In the illustratedembodiment, the contacts are spaced apart in a single row. Theconnectors may be manufactured using a variety of techniques. By way ofexample, the connectors may be manufactured using techniques similar tothose used by JAE of Japan.

The signals carried by the contacts may be widely varied. For example, aportion of the contacts may be dedicated to Firewire signals whileanother portion may be dedicated to USB signals. The contacts may alsobe used for grounds, charging, powering, protocols, accessoryidentification, audio, line-in, line-out, and the like. Additionalcontacts may be used for grounding the housing of the connector. Thenumber of contacts may also be widely varied. The number generallydepends on the signals needed to support the devices using theconnectors. In one embodiment, some of the contacts are used to supportFirewire while other contacts are used to support USB. In thisembodiment, the minimum number of contacts corresponds to the numberrequired to support these devices. In most cases, however, the number ofcontacts tends to be greater than this number (other signals areneeded). In the illustrated embodiment, each of the connectors includesat least 30 contacts, including Firewire contacts, USB contacts,grounding contacts, powering contacts, reserved contacts and the like.An example of a pin count which may used can be seen in FIG. 6C.Although this pin count is shown, it should be noted that it is not alimitation and that any configuration of the functions described thereinmay be used.

FIGS. 7A-E are diagrams of a stand alone docking station 250, inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The stand alonedocking station 250 allows a media player 252 to communicate with othermedia devices (not shown). By stand alone, it is meant that it isphysically separated from but operatively connectable to the mediadevice (rather than being integrated therewith). As shown, the dockingstation 250 includes a housing 254 that encloses internally variouselectrical and structural components and that defines the shape or formof the docking station 250. The shape of the housing may be widelyvaried. For example, it may be rectangular, circular, triangular,cubical, and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 254has a rectangular shape. The housing 254 may be formed by one or morehousing components. For example, as shown, the housing 254 may be madeup of a top member 256 and a base member 258. The manner in which themembers 256 and 258 are connected may be widely varied (e.g., screws,bolts, snaps, latch, etc.).

Within a top surface 260 of the housing as shown in FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7Ethere is provided a media bay opening 262 for physically receiving abottom portion 264 of the media player 252. As shown, the media bayopening 262 has shape that coincides with the shape of the media player252, i.e., the bottom portion 264 of the media player 252 may beinserted within the media bay opening 262. The depth of the opening 262is generally configured to keep the user interface of the media player252 exposed to the user. The opening 262 may be vertical or sloped. Asshown in FIG. 7E, the opening 262 is sloped so that the media player 252rests in a tilted position within the docking station 250. As should beappreciated, a tilted media player 252 is easier to use (e.g., moreergonomic). The slope may be widely varied. For example, it may tilt themedia player 252 about 5 to about 25 degrees and more particularly about15 degrees.

Inside the opening 262 there is provided a first connector 266 forengaging a corresponding connector disposed on the bottom surface of themedia player 252. The first connector 266 is typically exposed throughthe housing 254 so that the media player connector can engage it. By wayof example, the connector arrangement may correspond to the connectorarrangement shown in FIG. 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the mediaplayer connector is a female port and the docking station connector 266is a male plug. The plug is generally dimension for a tight fit withinthe port so as to secure the connection between the media player 252 andthe docking station 250 (e.g., no interlock except for connector). Thefirst connector 266 is generally sloped to a similar angle as theopening 262 so that engagement occurs between the first connector andthe media player connector when the media player 252 is slid into theopening 262. As should be appreciated, the sides of the opening 262serve as guides for placing the connectors in the correct engagementposition.

The first connector 266 may be operatively coupled to one or more secondconnectors, each of which may be used to connect to some external devicesuch as a media device, power plug and the like. In some cases, theinformation passing through the first connector 266 is directed to asingle second connector while in other cases the information is splitinto multiple second connectors. For example, the contacts of a singleconnector 266 may be split into different connectors such as one or moredata lines, power lines, audio lines and the like. The second connectorsmay be similar to the first connector or they may be different.Furthermore, multiple second connectors may be similar or they may bedifferent from one another. The second connectors are also exposedthrough the housing. In some cases, the second connectors are indirectlycoupled to the docking station 250. For example, they may be coupled tothe docking station 250 through a cord or cable that is attached to thedocking station 250. One end of the cord is coupled to the dockingstation 250 while the other end, which includes the second connector isfree to be engaged with an external device. In other cases, the secondconnectors are directly coupled to the docking station 250. For example,they may be attached to a portion of the docking station 250 withoutusing a cord or cable. In cases such as these, the second connectors arefree to be engaged directly to an external device or they may be coupledthrough a removable cord or cable. Alternatively or additionally, thecord it self may be used to split information, i.e., a Y cord or cable.

The internal components of the docking station 250 can best seen in FIG.7C. FIG. 7C shows the docking station 250 with the top member 256 of thehousing 254 removed. As shown, the internal components include at leasta first connector 266 and a second connector 268 (both of which maycorrespond to a connector arrangement shown in FIG. 6). The internalcomponents may also include an audio out connector 270. The connectors266-270 are connected via a flex cable 272. The connectors 266-270 arepositioned on one or more printed circuit boards 274 that are attachedto the base member 258 of the housing 254. The first connector 266 islocated at a position that places it within the opening 262 of thehousing 254 (as shown in FIG. 7B). The second connector 268 and theaudio out connector 270 are located at positions that place them withinopenings 276 at the backside of the housing 254 for external connectiontherefrom (as shown in FIG. 7D). Also contained within the housing 254is a ballast 278 enabling the docking station 250 to support the mediaplayer 252 when inserted therein. An EMI shield may also be placed overthe flex cable 272 to provide shielding.

FIG. 8 is an illustration showing the docking station 250 of FIG. 7 inuse, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Asshown, the docking station 250 is operatively coupled to a media device280 through a cable 282, i.e., the first end of the cable 282 is engagedwith the second connector 268 of the docking station 250 and the secondend of the cable 282 is engaged with a connector positioned on the mediadevice 280. Furthermore, the media player 252 is operatively coupled tothe docking station 250 via the above mentioned connector arrangement,i.e., the media player 252 is positioned in the media bay opening 262 ofthe docking station 250 such that the connectors are engaged. Throughthese connections, the media player 252 may communicate with the mediadevice 280, i.e., data and/or power may be passed therebetween. In theillustrated embodiment, the media player 252 is a music player and themedia device 280 is a desktop computer. As such, the user, for exampleusing the user interface on the media player 252, may upload or download songs between the media player 252 and the desktop computer 280 viathe docking station 250. When uploading and downloading are completed,the user may simply remove the media player 252 from the docking station250 and walk away.

FIGS. 9A-9C are diagrams of cable adapters 300, 302 and 304,respectively, that may be used with the docking station 250 of FIG. 7,in accordance with several embodiments of the present invention. In allthree figures, the cable adapters 300, 302 and 304 include a dockingstation connector 306. The docking station connector 306 is configuredto be received by the second connector 268 of the docking station 250.Although this connector arrangement may be widely varied, in theillustrated embodiment, the connector arrangement corresponds to theconnector arrangement shown in FIG. 6.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the cable adapter 300 includes a cable 308. Thedocking station connector 306 is disposed at one end of the cable 308and a media device connector 310 is disposed at the other end of thecable 308. The media device connector 310 may be widely varied. Forexample, it may correspond to a power connector, a Firewire connector, aUSB connector and the like. It may also correspond to a connectorsimilar to the docking station connector. In the illustrated embodiment,the media device connector 310 is a Firewire connector. An example of acable adapter 300 including a docking station connector 306 using thepin count of FIG. 6C and a media device connector 310 using a 6 pinFirewire is shown in FIG. 9D.

Referring to FIG. 9B, the cable adapter 302 includes a pair of cables312 and 314. The docking station connector 306 is disposed at one end ofthe cables 312 and 314 and a plurality of media device connectors 316are disposed at the other ends of the cables 312 and 314. Each of themedia device connectors 312 and 314 may be widely varied. For example,they may correspond to a power connector, a Firewire connector, a USBconnector and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the first mediadevice connector 316A is a power connector and the second media deviceconnector 316B is a USB connector.

As shown in FIG. 9C, the cable adapter 304 is configured to be used witha car stereo. The cable adapter includes a cable 318. The dockingstation connector 306 is disposed at one end of the cable 318 and amedia device connector 320 is disposed at the other end of the cable318. In this particular embodiment, the media device connector 320 is inthe form of a cassette for insertion into a cassette deck of the carstereo. The cable adapter 304 also includes a power adapter plug 322configured for insertion into a car power jack (e.g., cigarettelighter). The power adapter plug 322 extends from the docking stationconnector 306. In order to use the cable adapter 304, the user simplyplaces the power adapter plug 322 in the power jack (this supports thedocking station as well as provides power therethrough for powering orcharging the media player) and the media device connector 320 in thecassette deck of the car stereo. The user may then select a song to beplayed through the car stereo using the user interface of the mediaplayer.

Although the cable adapters are shown as separate components of thedocking station, it should be noted that in some embodiments they may beintegrated therewith. That is, instead of having a docking stationconnector, the ends of the cables may be attached to the dockingstation.

Referring to FIGS. 10-14, integrated docking stations will be describedin greater detail. Like stand alone docking stations, the integrateddocking stations allow a media player to communicate with other mediadevices. However, unlike the stand alone docking station, the integrateddocking station is integrated with or built into the media device. Asshould be appreciated, the electrical and structural components of theintegrated docking station are typically enclosed via the housing of themedia device, i.e., the docking stations do not have their own housing.The housing of the media devices also typically defines the media bay inwhich the media player is placed for connectivity to the media device.That is, the media devices themselves include one or more media bays forreceiving the media players. The media bays are typically externallyaccessible to the media players so that media players can be easily beinserted into or removed from the media bays. The media bays may be anyof those previously described. The removability of the media playersallows the media player to support a variety of different types of mediadevices in a flexible manner. By way of example, the media devices maycorrespond to desktop computers, notebook computers, home sound systems,car sound systems, portable sound systems, home theater systems, videoprojectors, displays, audio or video recording equipment, cameras (e.g.,photos, video), telephones, and the like. They may also includeperipheral computing devices such as scanners, printers, keyboards, andthe like.

FIG. 10 is a notebook computer 350 with an integrated docking station352, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Thenotebook computer 350 includes a lid 354 and a base 356. The dockingstation 352 is integrated within the base 356. The docking station 352includes a media bay 358 that may be placed anywhere on the base 356, asfor example, the sides, top, front, back or bottom surfaces. The mediabay 358 may be configured to receive any surface of a media player 359so long as a connection is made between the media player 359 and thedocking station 352. For example, it may be configured to receive theback of the media player as shown in FIG. 3 or it may be configured toreceive the bottom of the media player as shown in FIG. 4. In theillustrated embodiment, the media bay 358 is configured to receive theback side of the media player 359 thus exposing the user interface ofthe media player 359 to the user. In some cases, the user interface maybe the primary user interface of the notebook computer 350. For example,the touch pad of the media player shown in FIG. 1 may be used to performactions on the notebook computer 350. By way of example, the notebookcomputer may correspond to any of those manufactured by Apple Computerof Cupertino, Calif.

FIG. 11 is a perspective diagram of a general purpose computer 360 withan integrated docking station 362, in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present invention. The computer 360 generally includes a base 364and a display 366 operatively coupled to the base 364. The base 364 andthe display 366 may be separate components, i.e., they each have theirown housing, as in traditional computers or they may be integrated intoa single housing so as form an all in one machine (as shown). Thedocking station 362 is integrated within the base 364. The dockingstation 362 includes a media bay 368 that may be placed anywhere on thebase, as for example, the sides, top, front, back or bottom surfaces.The media bay 368 may be configured to receive any surface of a mediaplayer 369 so long as a connection is made between the media player 369and the docking station 362. For example, it may be configured toreceive the back of the media player as shown in FIG. 3 or it may beconfigured to receive the bottom of the media player as shown in FIG. 4.In the illustrated embodiment, the media bay 368 is configured toreceive the bottom side of the media player 369. In some cases, the userinterface of the media player 369 may be exposed and in other cases, theuser interface may be completely covered within the media bay 358. Byway of example, the general purpose computer may correspond to any ofthose manufactured by Apple Computer of Cupertino, Calif.

FIG. 12 is front view of a sound system 370 with an integrated dockingstation 372, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.The sound system may be widely varied. For example, it may be asubstantially fixed or portable unit. In the illustrated embodiment, thesound system 370 is a flat panel unit that includes a base 374 and apair of speakers 376. The docking station 372 is integrated within thebase 374. The docking station 372 includes a media bay 378 that may beplaced anywhere on the base 374, as for example, the sides, top, front,back or bottom surfaces. The media bay 378 may be configured to receiveany surface of a media player 379 so long as a connection is madebetween the media player 379 and the docking station 372. For example,it may be configured to receive the back of the media player as shown inFIG. 3 or it may be configured to receive the bottom of the media playeras shown in FIG. 4. In the illustrated embodiment, the media bay 378 isconfigured to receive the back side of the media player 379. In somecases, the user interface of the media player 379 may be the primaryuser interface of the sound system 370 and in other cases, the userinterface is secondary to a user interface of the sound system 370.

FIG. 13 is a photo display 380 with an integrated docking station 382,in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The photodisplay 380 is configured to showcase one or more images. For example,the photo display may be set on a desk or placed on a wall to displayone or more family photos in a controlled manner. The photo display 380generally includes a base 384 and a display 386 that is disposed in thebase 384. The docking station 382 is integrated within the base 384. Thedocking station 382 includes a media bay 388 that may be placed anywhereon the base 384, as for example, the sides, top, front, back or bottomsurfaces. The media bay 388 may be configured to receive any surface ofa media player 389 so long as a connection is made between the mediaplayer 389 and the docking station 382. For example, it may beconfigured to receive the back of the media player as shown in FIG. 3 orit may be configured to receive the bottom of the media player as shownin FIG. 4. In the illustrated embodiment, the media bay 388 isconfigured to receive the back side of the media player 389. In somecases, the user interface of the media player 389 may be the primaryuser interface of the photo display system and in other cases, the userinterface is secondary to a user interface of the photo display system.

FIG. 14 is a mobile radio 390 with an integrated docking station 392, inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The mobileradio allows a user to connect to other users in a local area, as forexample when two parties are outdoors in different locations. Forexample, the mobile radio may provide voice communications, messaging(pager, email), digital one way radio (one to one and group), digitaltwo way radio (one to one and group), data services (wireless web andprivate networks). In one embodiment, the mobile radio 390 allows amedia player 399 to act as a mobile broadcasting station. For example,the user may broadcast music from the media player 399 to other mediadevices in a local area or within a local network. The mobile radio 390generally includes a base 394 that includes the radio broadcastcomponents (e.g., antenna, transmitter, receiver, volume controls,squelch controls, frequency controls, etc.).

The docking station 392 is integrated within the base 394. The dockingstation 392 includes a media bay 398 that may be placed anywhere on thebase, as for example, the sides, top, front, back or bottom surfaces.The media bay 398 may be configured to receive any surface of the mediaplayer 399 so long as a connection is made between the media player 399and the docking station 392. For example, it may be configured toreceive the back of the media player as shown in FIG. 3 or it may beconfigured to receive the bottom of the media player as shown in FIG. 4.In the illustrated embodiment, the media bay 398 is configured toreceive the back side of the media player 399 so that the user interfaceis exposed to the user. As such, the user may select a song andthereafter broadcast it to other users in the network.

Although the mobile radio and media device are shown as separatedevices, it should be noted that they may be integrated thus eliminatingthe need for a docking station. For example, the radio broadcastingcomponents such as receivers, transmitters, microphones, speakers andthe like may be built into the media player as for example the mediaplayer shown in FIG. 1. The radio broadcasting components may be widelyvaried. For example, they may be associated with technologies includingFM, RF, Bluetooth, 802.11 UWB (ultra wide band), IR, magnetic link(induction) and/or the like.

FIG. 15 is a diagram of a wireless communication system 400, inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The wirelesscommunication system 400 generally includes a media player 402 and oneor more media devices 404. The media player 402 is configured to sendmedia via a wireless communication link 406 to the media devices 404 andthe media devices 404 are configured to receive the media sent by themedia player 402 over the wireless communication link 406. The mediaplayer is essentially configured to act as a personal transmittingstation so that the user can transmit media stored on the media playerto other devices. In some cases, the media devices 404 may also sendmedia to the media player 402 and the media player 402 may also receivemedia from the media devices 404. By way of example, the media maygenerally correspond to audio, video, images, text and the like.

In order to send and receive media, the players and devices 402 and 404generally include a transmitter, a receiver or a transceiver as well assome sort of antenna. The media is generally sent via the transmitterand the media is generally received via the receiver. In one embodiment,the media player includes a transmitter while the media devices includea receiver (for one way communications). In another embodiment, bothdevices include a transceiver (for two way communications). The antennamay be fully contained within the players/devices 402 and 404 or theymay extend outside the devices (as shown). By way of example, thewireless communication link may correspond to FM, RF, Bluetooth, 802.11,UWB (ultra wide band), IR (infrared), magnetic link (induction) and/orthe like.

The media player 402 may be widely varied. In the illustratedembodiment, the media player corresponds to the media player shown inFIG. 1. The media devices 404 may also be widely varied. These devicesgenerally depend on the type of media being sent by the media player402. By way of example, the media devices 404 may generally correspondto a personal mobile radio 404A, a personal tuning device 404B, apersonal display device 404C, and the like. Personal generally refers tothe fact that these devices pertain to a particular user. In oneembodiment, these devices are handheld devices that are sized forplacement into a pocket of the user. By being pocket sized, the userdoes not have to directly carry the device and therefore the device canbe taken almost anywhere the user travels.

Personal mobile radios 404A generally include a microphone and speaker(or audio jack) so as to allow voice communications. The mobile radiosmay be based on push to talk (PTT) whereby pressing a button opens thecommunication line from the mobile radio to the media player. The mobileradios typically include an antenna such as a rugged rubber duck thatconsists of a coiled up element encased in rubber. The mobile radios mayalso include a channel tuner for selecting which channel to receive andsend information, and a volume control dial for adjusting the volume ofthe audio signal. The mobile radios may also include a small displayshowing the selected channel, received signal strength, output power andthe like. Mobile radios are generally well known and will not bedescribed in greater detail.

Personal tuning devices 404B generally include a speaker (or headphonejack) and a volume control dial so as to listen to audio based media(e.g., music) being sent by the media player 402. The personal tuningdevices may also include an antenna and a frequency tuner for selectingwhich channel to receive and send information. In one embodiment, thepersonal tuning device 404B corresponds to a radio (e.g., the mediaplayer may include an FM transmitter and the radio may include an FMreceiver).

Personal display devices 404C generally include a display so as to viewvideo or imaged based media being sent by the media player 402. In somecases, the personal display device 404C additionally includes speakersand volume control so that both photos/video and audio based media maybe received from the media player. The video or photos may be producedby the media player through a camera located thereon. The video orphotos may also be stored in a storage component located within themedia player. In one embodiment, the personal display device correspondsto a television or TV (e.g., the media player may include a VHF or UHFtransmitter and the TV may include a VHF or UHF receiver).

The media devices may also include a media player 404D, a notebookcomputer 404E or a general purpose computer 404F. The second mediaplayer 404D may be similar to the first media player 402 or it may be adifferent device altogether. By way of example, the second media player404D may generally correspond to the media player shown in FIG. 1. Boththe notebook computer 404E and the general purpose computer 404F mayinclude the hardware necessary for communicating over the wirelesscommunication link (e.g., antenna, receivers, transceivers) or they maybe connected to a wireless hub 410 that includes the required hardware.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a wireless communication system 420, inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The system 420generally includes a media player 422 and a media device 424 thatconnect via a wireless communication link 426. Both the media player 422and the media device 424 may be widely varied. For ease of discussion,the media device 424 corresponds to a second media player that issimilar to the first media player. Both media players include aprocessor 428 that is operatively coupled to a user interface 430, astorage block 432, input/output circuitry 434 and a communicationterminal 436.

The processor 428 is configured to execute instructions and to carry outoperations associated with the media players 422, 424. For example,using instructions retrieved for example from memory, the processor 428may control the reception and manipulation of input and output databetween components of the media players 422, 424. In most cases, theprocessor 428 executes instruction under the control of an operatingsystem or other software. The processor 428 can be a single-chipprocessor or can be implemented with multiple components.

The user interface 430 allows the user of the media players 422, 424 toinitiate actions on the media players 422, 424 and provides the userwith output associated with using the media players 422, 424 (e.g.,audio, video, images, etc.). The user interface 430 may be widelyvaried. By way of example, the user interface 430 may include switches,buttons, keys, dials, trackballs, joysticks, touch pads, touch screens,displays, microphones, speakers, cameras, and the like.

The storage block 432 provides a place to hold data that is being usedby the media players 422, 424. By way of example, the storage block 432may include Read-Only Memory (ROM), Random-Access Memory (RAM), harddisk drive, flash memory and/or the like. In the illustrated embodiment,the storage block includes at least a hard drive.

The input/output (I/O) support circuitry 434 controls interactions withone or more I/O devices 440 that can be coupled to the media players422, 424. The I/O support circuitry 434 may be integrated with theprocessor 428 or it may be a separate component (as shown). The I/Osupport circuitry 434 generally operates by exchanging data (and/orpower) between the media players 422,424 and the I/O devices 440 thatdesire to communicate with the media players 422,424. In most cases, theI/O devices 440 may be connected to the I/O support circuitry 434through one or more connectors, wires or cables. By way of example, theI/O devices 440 may be internal or peripheral devices such as othermedia players, notebook computers, personal digital assistants, generalpurpose computers, storage devices, additional user interfaces, audioequipment (e.g., speakers, headphones), video or imaging equipment(e.g., cameras), network cards, and the like. In the illustratedembodiment, the I/O device 440 corresponds to a head set. The head setmay be connected to the media player through a headphone jack.

The communication terminal 436 controls interactions with one or moremedia devices 424 that can be coupled to the media player 422 through awireless link. The communication terminal 436 may include a transmitter,receiver or transceiver. In one embodiment, the first media player 422includes a transmitter and the second media player 424 includes areceiver thereby providing one way communication therebetween. In theillustrated embodiment, the first media player 422 includes a firsttransceiver and the second media player includes a second transceiver424 for two way communication therebetween. The transmitter isconfigured to transmit information over the wireless communication linkand the receiver is configured to receive information over the wirelesscommunication link while the transceiver is configured to both transmitand receive information over the wireless communication link. Thecomponents of the receivers, transmitters and transceiver are generallywell known within the technological filed from which they come (e.g.,FM, RF, Bluetooth, 802.11 UWB, IR, magnetic link) and therefore theywill not be described in greater detail.

FIG. 17 is a flow diagram of a wireless transmission method 450, inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The method maybe implemented by a media player, as for example the media player shownin FIG. 15 or 16. The method generally begins at block 452 where a mediaitem is selected. This is generally accomplished by user operating themedia player via the user interface of the media player. Depending onthe application, the user may conveniently move through a list of mediaitems and thereafter make a selection once the desired media item isfound. In the case of music, the user may scroll through a list of songsuntil a desired song is found. In the case of images, the user may movethrough a proof sheet until a desired image is found.

Following block 452, the flow proceeds to block 454 where the remoterecipients are selected. Remote recipients generally refer to otherdevices that are capable of receiving the selected media item from themedia player. Selecting the remote recipients may include selecting asignal channel as for example in the case of a broadcast (e.g., FM) orselecting a desired address as for example in the case of a networkconnection (e.g., Bluetooth). In broadcasting, a media item istransmitted over airwaves for public reception by anyone with a receivertuned to the right signal channel, i.e., the media item is cast orthrown in all directions at the same time. In networking, a media itemis transmitted to one or more unique addresses, i.e., each media devicehas its own unique address. When utilizing broadcasting, the user maysimply select a channel via the user interface of the media player. Forexample, the user of the media player may select FM 98.1 and thereforethe user of the media device must select FM 98.1 in order to receive themedia item. When utilizing networking, the user may select one or moreaddresses via the user interface of the media player. For example, theuser may enter one or more unique address directly or the user mayselect one or more unique addresses from a preexisting group stored inthe media player. In some cases, the unique addresses may be stored as abuddy list.

Following block 454, the flow proceeds to block 456 where the mediaitem(s) is transmitted. The media item may be transmitted locally to themedia player and/or it may be transmitted wirelessly to the remoterecipient. In most cases, the media item is transmitted to both themedia player as well as to the remote recipients.

The various aspects of the method described above can be used alone orin various combinations. The method is preferably implemented by acombination of hardware and software, but can also be implemented inhardware or software. The method can also be embodied as computerreadable code on a computer readable medium. The computer readablemedium is any data storage device that can store data which canthereafter be read by a computer system. Examples of the computerreadable medium include read-only memory, random-access memory, harddrive, flash memory, CD-ROMs, DVDs, magnetic tape, optical data storagedevices, and carrier waves.

FIG. 18 is an illustration showing a personal transmitting station 500in use, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Byway of example, the personal transmitting station 500 may correspond tothe media player shown in FIG. 1. The personal transmitting station 500is wirelessly connected to one or more personal media devices 502through one or more wireless links 504. These devices 500 and 502 areconnected via a wireless communication signal such as any of thosepreviously described.

Although the personal transmitting station 500 may be configured totransmit several types of data to the personal media devices 502, in theillustrated embodiment, the personal transmitting station 500 isconfigured to transmit audio data in the form of music 502 (e.g., thepersonal transmitting station includes MP3 functionality for example) toone or more personal media devices 502 acting as personal tuningdevices. As such, the user of the personal transmitting station 500 canperform disc jockey functions, i.e., the user can determine what songsto be played on both the personal transmitting station 500 as well asthe personal tuning devices 502.

In this particular illustration, a first skier 506 holds the personaltransmitting station 500 while second, third and fourth skiers 508, 510and 512 each hold personal tuning devices 502. As shown, the first skier506 is located away from the second, third and fourth skiers 508, 510and 512. The first skier 506 is located on a first hill 514, the secondand third skiers 508 and 510 are located on a ski lift 516, and thefourth skier 502 is skiing down a second hill 518. As should beappreciated, all of these locations are within the broadcasting ornetworking range of the personal transmitting station 500.

The personal transmitting station 500 is configured to send a musicsignal to the personal tuning devices 502 held by the second, third andfourth skiers 508, 510 and 512 and the personal tuning devices 502 areconfigured to receive the music signal sent from the personaltransmitting station 500. The first skier 506 can therefore effectchanges to what is being listened to by the second, third and fourthskiers 508, 510 and 512 by simply selecting a different song to beplayed on the personal transmitting station 500 (even though he is in adifferent location than the rest of the skiers). For example, the firstskier 506 may end a first song and select a second song to be playedtherefore causing the personal transmitting station 500 to send thesecond song to the personal tuning devices 502.

Both the personal transmitting station 500 as well as the personaltuning devices 502 include a means for outputting sound. For example,they may contain speakers or jacks for coupling to headphones. Thesedevices may also include a means for adjusting the volume. For example,they may contain dials or buttons for increasing or decreasing thevolume. In some cases, the personal tuning devices may include a meansfor making song requests, i.e., text messaging or voice communications.

While this invention has been described in terms of several preferredembodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents, whichfall within the scope of this invention. For example, although theinvention has been described in terms of an MP3 music player, it shouldbe appreciated that certain features of the invention may also beapplied to other types of media players such as video recorders,cameras, and the like. Furthermore, the MP3 music player describedherein is not limited to the MP3 music format. Other audio formats suchas MP3 VBR (variable bit rate), AIFF and WAV formats may be used.Moreover, certain aspects of the invention are not limited to handhelddevices. For example, the touch pad may also be used in other computingdevices such as a portable computer, personal digital assistants (PDA),cellular phones, and the like. The touch pad may also be used a standalone input device that connects to a desktop or portable computer. Itshould also be noted that there are many alternative ways ofimplementing the methods and apparatuses of the present invention. Forexample, although the touch pad has been described in terms of beingactuated by a finger, it should be noted that other objects may be usedto actuate it in some cases. For example, a stylus or other object maybe used in some configurations of the touch pad. It is thereforeintended that the following appended claims be interpreted as includingall such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within thetrue spirit and scope of the present invention.

1. A docking station for receiving a media player that has a receptacleconnector, the docking station comprising: a housing; and a media baycomprising a media bay opening and a male plug connector, wherein themedia bay opening is formed in the housing and adapted to receive themedia player, and wherein the male plug connector is disposed in themedia bay opening and configured to engage the receptacle connector ofthe media player, the male plug connector including: a connector housingdesigned to accommodate at least 30 contacts spaced apart in a singlerow of sequentially numbered contact locations, wherein the sequentiallynumbered contact locations include: Firewire contact locations 3, 5, 7and 9 designated for Firewire signals; universal serial bus (USB)contact locations 4, 6, and 8 designated for USB signals; an accessoryidentify contact location 10 designated for an accessory identify signalthat has an associated electrical pull down function to notify the mediaplayer of an accessory identification; serial protocol contact locations18 and 19 designated for serial protocol signals; audio contactlocations 27 and 28 designated for analog audio signals; and groundcontact locations 1 and 30 designated for ground.
 2. The docking stationof claim 1, wherein the male plug connector is sloped such that themedia player rests in a tilted position when inserted in the media bayopening.
 3. The docking station of claim 2, wherein an angle of thetilted position is in a range from about 5 degrees to about 25 degrees.4. The docking station of claim 1, further comprising a ballast disposedin the housing to enable the docking station to support the mediaplayer.
 5. The docking station of claim 1, further comprising one ormore additional connectors operatively coupled to the male plugconnector, at least one of the additional connectors being configured toallow signal transmission for communication with other electronicdevices.
 6. The docking station of claim 5, wherein the one or moreadditional connectors include at least one of an audio out connector ora multi-contact connector having a same contact location arrangement asthe receptacle connector of the media player.
 7. The docking station ofclaim 5, further comprising a flex cable disposed in the housing, theflex cable being configured to operatively couple the male plugconnector to the one or more additional connectors, and wherein the oneor more additional connectors are positioned on one or more printedcircuit boards that are attached to the housing.
 8. The docking stationof claim 1, wherein the docking station is a media system and includesone or more features selected from a group consisting of a pair ofspeakers, a display, and radio broadcast components.
 9. The dockingstation of claim 1, wherein the sequentially numbered contact locationsfurther include a ground contact location 16 designated for ground. 10.The docking station of claim 9, wherein the sequentially numberedcontact locations further include additional ground contact locations 2,15, and 29 designated for ground.
 11. The docking station of claim 1,wherein the sequentially numbered contact locations further include: anaccessory power contact location 13 designated for an accessory powersignal that can receive power from the media player; and an accessorydetect contact location 20 designated for an accessory detect signal.12. The docking station of claim 1, further comprising: Firewirecontacts disposed at contact locations 3, 5, 7 and 9 and appropriatedfor carrying the Firewire signals; USB contacts disposed at contactlocations 4, 6, and 8 and appropriated for carrying the USB signals; anaccessory identify contact disposed at contact location 10 andappropriated for carrying the accessory identify signal; serial protocolcontacts disposed at contact locations 18 and 19 and appropriated forcarrying the serial protocol signals; audio contacts disposed at contactlocations 27 and 28 and appropriated for carrying the analog audiosignals; and ground contacts disposed at contact locations 1 and 30 andappropriated for ground, wherein at least a subset of the contacts canbe active when the male plug connector is connected to the correspondingreceptacle connector of the media player.
 13. The docking station ofclaim 12, wherein the connector housing is made of plastic; wherein thecontacts are made of an electrically conductive material, are disposedin a corresponding one of the sequentially numbered contact locationsfor the at least 30 contacts, and are recessed inside the connectorhousing in an off-center position; and wherein at least one contact ismade of a copper alloy.
 14. The docking station of claim 1, furthercomprising power contacts appropriated to carry power and located atlocations 11 and
 12. 15. A docking station for receiving a media playerthat has a receptacle connector, the docking station comprising: ahousing; and a media bay comprising a media bay opening and a male plugconnector, wherein the media bay opening is formed in the housing andadapted to receive the media player, and wherein the male plug connectoris disposed in the media bay opening and configured to engage thereceptacle connector of the media player, the male plug connectorincluding: a connector housing designed to accommodate at least 30contacts spaced apart in a single row of sequentially numbered contactlocations, wherein the sequentially numbered contact locations include:digital contact locations 3 to 9 designated for digital signalsincluding universal serial bus (USB) contact locations designated forUSB data signals interleaved with contact locations designated fordigital signals other than USB data signals; analog contact locations 27and 28 designated for one or more analog signals including at least oneaudio signal; and ground contact locations 1 and 30 designated forground.
 16. The docking station of claim 15, wherein the sequentiallynumbered contact locations further include a ground contact location 16designated for ground.
 17. The docking station of claim 16, wherein thesequentially numbered contact locations further include ground contactlocations 2, 15, and 29 designated for ground.
 18. The docking stationof claim 15, further comprising: digital contacts disposed at contactlocations 3 to 9 and appropriated for carrying the digital signals;analog contacts disposed at contact locations 27 and 28 and appropriatedfor carrying the analog signals; and ground contacts disposed at contactlocations 1 and 30 and appropriated for ground, wherein at least asubset of the plurality of contacts can be active when the male plugconnector is connected to the corresponding receptacle connector of themedia player.
 19. The docking station of claim 15, wherein thesequentially numbered contact locations further include an accessoryidentify contact location 10 designated for an accessory identify signalthat has an associated electrical pull down function to notify the mediaplayer of an accessory identification.
 20. The docking station of claim15, wherein the sequentially numbered contact locations further include:an accessory power contact location 13 designated for an accessory powersignal that can receive power from the media player; and an accessorydetect contact location 20 designated for an accessory detect signal.21. The docking station of claim 15, wherein the sequentially numberedcontact locations further include: serial protocol contact locations 18and 19 designated for serial protocol signals.
 22. The docking stationof claim 15, wherein contact locations 3, 5, 7 and 9 are designated forFirewire signals.
 23. The docking station of claim 15, wherein locations4, 6, and 8 are designated for USB signals.
 24. The docking station ofclaim 15, further comprising power contacts appropriated to carry powerand located at locations 11 and
 12. 25. A docking station for receivinga media player that has a receptacle connector, the docking stationcomprising: a housing; and a media bay comprising a media bay openingand a male plug connector, wherein the media bay opening is formed inthe housing and adapted to receive the media player, and wherein themale plug connector is disposed in the media bay opening and configuredto engage the receptacle connector of the media player, the male plugconnector including: a connector housing designed to accommodate aplurality of contacts spaced apart in a single row of contact locations,wherein the contact locations are sequentially numbered from a first endto a second end, the contact locations including: a first ground contactlocation designated for ground; a first group of digital contactlocations designated for one or more digital signals including universalserial bus (USB), the first group of digital contact locations beingdisposed between the first ground contact location and the first end,wherein the contact locations from the first group of digital contactlocations that are designated for USB are disposed consecutively inevery other contact location; and a second group of analog contactlocations designated for one or more analog signals including at leastone audio signal, the second group of analog contact locations beingdisposed between the first ground contact location and the second end.26. The docking station of claim 25, wherein the sequentially numberedcontact locations further include: a second ground contact location atthe first end and designated for ground; and a third ground contactlocation at the second end and designated for ground.
 27. The dockingstation of claim 25, wherein contact locations from the first group ofdigital contact locations that are designated for USB are interleavedwith contact locations designated for Firewire signals.
 28. The dockingstation of claim 26, wherein the plurality of contact locationscomprises 30 sequentially numbered contact locations, and wherein thefirst ground contact location is at contact location 16, the secondground contact location is at contact location 1, and the third groundcontact location is at contact location 30, and wherein the sequentiallynumbered contact locations further include additional ground contactlocations 2, 15, and 29 designated for ground.
 29. The docking stationof claim 28, wherein the first group of digital contact locationscomprises locations 3 to 9, and wherein the second group of analogcontact locations comprises locations 27 and
 28. 30. The docking stationof claim 29, wherein the first group of digital contact locationsincludes locations 3, 5, 7 and 9 designated for Firewire signals. 31.The docking station of claim 29, wherein the first group of digitalcontact locations includes locations 4, 6, and 8 designated for USBsignals.
 32. The docking station of claim 29, further comprising aplurality of contacts made of electrically conductive material disposedat the plurality of contact locations, respectively, wherein at least asubset of the plurality of contacts can be active when the male plugconnector is connected to the corresponding receptacle connector of themedia player.
 33. The docking station of claim 28, further comprisingone or more power contacts made of electrically conductive materialdisposed in one or more of contact locations 8, 11 or
 12. 34. Thedocking station of claim 28, wherein the contact locations furtherinclude an accessory identify contact location 10 designated for anaccessory identify signal that has an associated electrical pull downfunction to notify the media player of an accessory identification. 35.The docking station of claim 28, wherein the contact locations furtherinclude: an accessory power contact location 13 designated for anaccessory power signal that can receive power from the media player; andan accessory detect contact location 20 designated for an accessorydetect signal.
 36. The docking station of claim 28, wherein the contactlocations further include serial protocol contact locations 18 and 19designated for serial protocol signals.
 37. The docking station of claim31 wherein contact location 8 is designated for a USB power signal. 38.A docking station for receiving a media player that has a receptacleconnector, the docking station comprising: a housing; and a media baycomprising a media bay opening and a male plug connector, wherein themedia bay opening is formed in the housing and adapted to receive themedia player, and wherein the male plug connector is disposed in themedia bay opening and configured to engage the receptacle connector ofthe media player, the male plug connector including: a connector housingdesigned to accommodate a plurality of contacts spaced apart in a singlerow of contact locations, wherein the contact locations comprise thirtycontact locations sequentially numbered from a first end to a secondend, the contact locations including: first, second and third groundcontact locations designated for ground, the first ground contactlocation being disposed at contact location 1 at the first end, thethird ground contact location being disposed at contact location 30 atthe second end and the second ground contact location being disposed atone of contact locations 15 or 16 between the first and second ends; agroup of digital contact locations designated for one or more digitalsignals including universal serial bus (USB) signals, the group ofdigital contact locations being disposed between the first and secondground contact locations; a group of analog contact locations designatedfor one or more analog signals including an audio left signal and anaudio right signal, the group of analog contact locations being disposedbetween the second and third ground contact locations; and a group ofpower contact locations designated for one or more power signalsincluding USB power, accessory power and charger input power, the groupof power contact locations being disposed between the first and secondground contact locations.
 39. The docking station of claim 38 whereinthe sequentially numbered contact locations further include fourth andfifth ground contact locations designated for ground, the fourth groundcontact location being disposed at contact location 2 and the fifthground contact location being disposed adjacent to the second groundcontact location at the other of contact locations 15 or
 16. 40. Thedocking station of claim 39 wherein the group of analog contactlocations includes an audio out left contact location at contactlocation 27 and an audio out right contact location at contact location28.
 41. The docking station of claim 39 wherein contact location 8 isdesignated for a USB power signal.
 42. The docking station of claim 39wherein the contact locations further include an accessory identifycontact location designated for an accessory identify signal that has anassociated electrical pull down function to notify the media player ofan accessory identification, the accessory identify contact locationbeing located between the first and second ground contact locations. 43.The docking station of claim 39 wherein the contact locations furtherinclude an accessory detect contact location designated for an accessorydetect signal.
 44. The docking station of claim 39 wherein the contactlocations further include first and second serial protocol contactlocations designated for serial protocol signals.